Why you may have seen more uniformed police officers downtown

Cheshire Police is one of three police forces in the North West who have worked together on a security operation to disrupt criminal activity and strengthen their vigilance network.

Today specialist Project Servator teams from Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester have been deployed to various locations in central Warrington, Liverpool and Manchester.

Project Servator’s deployment is intentionally unpredictable and the tactic aims to disrupt a range of criminal activities, including terrorism, while maintaining a reassuring presence for the public.

Operations involve specially trained uniformed and plainclothes officers to identify the tell-tale signs that someone may have criminal intent, for example to gather information to help them plan or prepare for a crime.

Constable Mike Henry, Operations Coordinator for Project Servator at Cheshire Police, said: “Some criminals travel between operational areas.

“This operation was a great opportunity to combine the expertise of neighboring forces and tackle crime not only locally but also at a regional level.”

Sergeant Danny Cheevers from Merseyside Police commented: “Project Serrator teams from different forces often work together in this way to tackle crime.

“During these operations, officers will encourage the public, including people in the workplace, to provide extra eyes and ears and to report suspicious activity.

“The aim is to build a vigilance network and make it more difficult for terrorists considering their targets and other criminals to operate in the region.

“These operations continue across the region and we would like to reassure the public that there is no cause for concern if they encounter such an operation.

“Do not hesitate to speak to officers and they will explain to you what they are doing and how you can help keep people safe.

“Everyone has an important role to play and our call is simple: stay vigilant and trust your instincts.”

“If you see something that doesn’t feel right, tell a staff member or a police officer. Don’t assume someone else will.

“No matter how insignificant you think something is, trust your instincts and report it because your actions could save lives.”

To report suspicious activity, call police on 101. Suspicious activity is anything that seems out of place, unusual, or doesn’t seem to fit into everyday life.

If it is an emergency, always call 999.

Guidance on how you can help, including what suspicious activity to look out for and confidential reports, can be found at gov.uk/act